Cambodian risk to catch Ebola

Since ‪#‎Cambodia‬ has not direct flights to West Africa, the risk of catching ‪#‎Ebola‬ is too low. There are not Cambodian volunteers going there to fight the disease.

The US cases of Ebola importation came through medical personnel who have been working in direct contact with sick people – in the Cambodian case, doctors and nurses are too busy doing money and don’t mind too much about their own Cambodian country people, so the probabilities that Cambodian doctors and nurses offer themselves to assist Ebola patience in West Africa is very much low, at least you offer to them some 2,000 USD per month to go with all included (good food, good hotels, the best airlines and karaoke on weekends.)

The other risk could be that Ebola could be imported to Cambodia by the upcoming tourist high season. West Africans still a very low contributors to the growing Cambodian tourism, but it could come through Europeans and North Americans who are consecrated travelers (visiting all continents). Once more, cases have been brought out of West Africa by medical humanitarian volunteers from those regions, so it is little probable that some of them would like to come to enjoy the Angkor temples while people are dying in West Africa (remember: humanitarian volunteers don’t think in enjoy life, but to serve others.)

Therefore, I calculate the risk to be contaminated by Ebola in Cambodia in 1 in 300 million (we are 15 million Cambodians) very much inferior to the US logarithmic scale (see article, 1 in 13.3 million.) It makes us safe (from Ebola), while we are much more exposed to die by malaria, diarrhea, paludisme, lighting strikes, HIV, domestic violence, human trafficking, land eviction and freedom of expression (Are we really safe?)

Anyway, in this upcoming high season, it would recommendable to increase safety measures in our two international airports, the Sihanoukville port and the land international gates placing medical personnel at the control spots to check all passengers coming from abroad. An Ebola patient in Cambodia would be a disaster, unlikely in US. Specially passengers coming from countries where there have been Ebola cases such as US, Australia, some European countries.

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About Albeiro Rodas

Albeiro Rodas (in Cambodia Sky Ly Samnang), is a MA in Digital Communication, independent journalist and a Salesian of Don Bosco from Amalfi, Colombia, based in Cambodia since 1999. He is the creator of the Don Bosco schools of journalism in Sihanoukville and Kep with young people from poor communities and the founder of the Don Bosco Kep Children Fund. Medal for Social Commitment UPB (2010); among the 100 more upstanding Colombians abroad (Marca Colombia, 2012, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X39xwdGtVXI) and among the 12 Colombians that are making this a better world 2013 (http://www.colombia.co/en/culture/colombians-that-are-making-this-a-better-world.html).

One response to “Cambodian risk to catch Ebola”

Really, I don’t think any country in the world should be complacent about Ebola striking anyone in their country! today’s world has become small because of frequent and easy travel by people in all countries! Yes, Cambodia cannot afford to have Ebola disease within its boundaries as it not only is too poor to handle it the government attitude might pose an even greater risk to wipe a segment of the population off the face of earth by a policy of ineptness ! However, my recent visit to Siem Reap showed local medical staff ‘pointing’ their thermo guns at incoming passengers in a ‘distant’ kind of way and may prove ineffective ! Please be prepared my khmer beloved friends. don’t take chances !
Billy